Give Me a Sign
by Ayame2004
Summary: Beth is gone and Daryl will stop at nothing to find her. But will his obsession with the hunt and the taunting voices in his mind break him or will he find the strength to carry on without her?
1. Chapter 1

Bear with me, it's been a long time since I've written anything and I was in a dark place last night. This is what came to my mind. Forget the "claimed" group ever happened. I don't own these characters. I just manipulate as my sick and twisted little mind sees fit. I hope you enjoy.

Summary: Beth is gone and Daryl will stop at nothing to find her. But will his obsession with the hunt and the taunting voices in his mind break him or will he find the strength to carry on without her?

Give Me a Sign

He fell to the ground in defeat. She was gone and he had lost her trail.

His heart felt as though it would break. He could hear his father screaming at him in the back on his mind for losing the trail. It was the same voice he heard when he failed to find Sophia.

_Ya' lazy sack a shit. Ya' couldn't track a worm in a planter. I taught ya' better 'an this, boy!_

He could almost feel the belt come across his back. He could hear his brother laughing at his failure. He could see her face as she tossed him his crossbow. He could see her fear. He heard her tell him she wasn't going to leave him. And now she was gone and he had failed.

He was too focused on his defeat to stop a stray tear from falling from his eye.

_Ya' brought this on ya' self. Ya' oughta be alone. Ya' couldn' protect her._

His head began to spin at the thought of actually, truly, being alone. Before the world turned to shit he would relish in the thought of being alone. Since the dead began to walk he never was alone. He always had someone with him or a group to go back to. Now, he had nothing. He hated to admit that it actually terrified him. He hated for his father's voice in his head to know he was scared and broken.

_Ya actin' like a girl. Man up, boy n' get up! _

He growled at the voice in his head and stood up quickly. He slipped the strap of his crossbow over his shoulder and pulled out his hunting knife. If he came across anything in these woods today, he would kill it by hand. He needed to blow off steam like he had in the country club. He needed to beat the hell out of something. He needed to find who took Beth and gut them like a deer.

"Come on, girl. Gimme a sign." He muttered as he looked around for anything that might give him a lead.

_That's right, boy. Get up n' find her. Less ya wanna be alone._

Another growl escaped his throat as his pushed his legs as hard as he could. He'd run himself to death before he gave up again.

After close to an hour of almost constant jogging he heard it. Growling. Rather than sliding behind a tree to wait for the walker to slink on by, he readied his knife and crouched down into a striking pose. The walker, a girl with blonde hair, ambled her way to him and he dropped his knife. His body straightened and he let out a small gasp.

She wore a yellow shirt.

Her hair was in a sloppy pony tail.

The skin on her face was all but gone on one side.

She wore a gold necklace. 

Gold.

It wasn't her. He sighed heavily and picked up the knife and plugged it into her skull. Beth's necklace wasn't gold and this was no golf tee like that one she grabbed at the country club.

_That coulda been her, ya know? Cause ya couldn't save her. Couldn't find her. Just like that little girl. Baby brother, you like 'em young. _

Merle's voice taunted him. His words twisted in his stomach. Beth wasn't a girl. Not anymore. But he'll be damned if he started fighting with his dead brother again. He was a distraction. He pushed his family from his mind and continued on, giving one last glance to the blonde walker laying just a few steps behind him. He wouldn't take out his anger on this one.

Daylight began to die, blackening the sky. He heard no noises in the woods and saw no path a car could have taken other than the main road. He couldn't see more than ten feet in front of him on the moonless night. He knew he had to stop and wait for the sun to come back. A chill ran down his body at the thought of leaving out there alone for a night.

He sat down against a tree, slinging his crossbow over his lap for easy access and pictured her face. Her smile, her laugh, and her determined to survive personality.

_You ain't worried bout her. Yer more worried that you will be alone, baby brother. Ya' weak. _

Merle sneering in his mind was not what he needed.

"Shut up, man. Ya' don' know anymore. Went n' got yourself killed." He whispered to no one. His brother didn't respond. She did.

_You gotta let it go or it will kill you. Right here. _

__He felt her ghostly hand press on his chest over his heart.

"Beth." Was all he was able to manage as a sob rose in his chest.

_You're gunna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon._

"You shouldn'ta said that, girl. Shouldn'ta jinxed us. Shoulda listened to me." He whispered to her memory.

_I don't need you. _

"Ya do, girl. Ya got yourself taken. Need me to find ya." He responded. He waited but no response came. He was alone again. He closed his eyes and tried to rest. It would be a long, sleepless night.

Two weeks passed with no sign. He left himself fall further away from her every day. He sat up at night thinking of what he could do, what he could have done, to keep her alive. They stopped talking to him after the second day. At night, when he began to break, he wished they would come back. He wished she would whisper in his mind and he could pick apart her words and hang to each one of them.

He did not give up looking, though he was completely undone by the loss. His legs moved him forward while his eyes scanned the ground. His mind had stopped processing what he was seeing a few days ago. He looked no different than the walkers. A decaying, empty shell of a man walking around with no purpose but to kill. He found himself expending more energy than needed when he would run into a single walker. He would use every muscle in his body to obliterate the thing. That was until he ran out of food about a week ago and clean water a day ago. He didn't care about hunting for food. Not until he found something.

He had fallen apart. When he sat against a tree at night to rest he would wish the dark would never fade. He wanted to stay in the dark forever. Without her, without his group, without people to live for, he hated the light of the sun. Darkness was once again his home.

He tripped over a root from a nearby spruce tree and landed on his hands and knees. The impact caused the loaded bolt to shatter in the bow. He signed at stared at it for a long while as he tried to will himself to find the strength to get up and move.

_It's killing you. Let go_

He barely heard her voice in his mind but as soon as he did his throat tightened and his chest hurt.

"M'sorry, I failed ya."

_When you care about someone hurt is part of the package. Let go._

"Can't."

_Enjoy your snake jerky_

She sneered. He was confused until he looked to his left and saw the small green animal slither by him. Without thinking he reached over and grabbed its body, its head turning and fangs sinking into the back of his hand in a failed attempt to save itself. He cussed under his breath and pulled a knife out to slice the animals head off. Once the fangs were extracted he looked up into the sky.

The sun was just beginning to fall. It was still early afternoon and he didn't want to stop until he had to. He decided to pull himself together and look for water. He was no good to her dead so he had to keep himself alive. He draped the dead animal across his neck, blood dripping down his arm, and stood up in search for anything that he could loot.

About a mile away, approximately an hour and a half later, he came across a small cabin that looked like it had been once used as a resort lodge. He doubted he would find anything in here but if it had a fire place it would work well to at least cook his catch.

He was surprised when he found the door locked which gave him a small glimmer of hope. The others were as well. He didn't see anything as he peered through the windows. He broke out a small window next to the main door and slid his hand through to unlock the door. He waited for growls before he pushed open the door. There were no sounds other than nature around him. He pushed open the door and walked into the kitchen. Everything looked completely untouched. He felt his luck rise, if only by a little bit.

Opening the pantry door, he found numerous cans of corn, green beans, peas, and fruit as well as several large poweraide bottles. He snatched one and pulled off the cap and drank it all in three gulps. He started to reach for another but reminded himself that if this was it, he needed to ration it. He moved on to the cabinets and found some packages of rice, dressing mixes, peanuts, and barbeque sauces but not much else. He was glad to have found what he did though.

Just for a laugh he flipped the nozzle up on the faucet and was surprised to find that there was running water. Must have been from a well, because it ran dark brown and smelled like rotting flesh.

"Can't have it all, I spose'." He grumbled as he made his way into the dusty family room. Once he had cleared the house he returned to the family room and flopped down on the beige couch to rest. Looking to his right he noticed that the snake, still wrapped around his neck, left a bloodstain. He looked at the fireplace, debating on checking it out now, but decided against it. He didn't feel like cooking his butchered prey. He tossed it to the floor and pulled his legs up to sleep.

When he awoke the sun had faded in the sky. He wondered what time it was but figured it didn't matter much anyway and went to the pantry for a can of corn and some peanuts. He stood against the counter to eat. That was when he heard the rustling in the woods. He turned up the can to quickly finish his dinner and grabbed his crossbow and aimed it towards the door. The sounds were of organized footsteps. There was no ambling or disorientation in the movements. And there was certainly more than one person.

"Shh! We don't know if anyone is in there!" whispered a male voice. There was no response to the command. "We can bunk here tonight if it's empty." He heard a female grunt drift across the breeze of the night.

Daryl ducked back and down the hallway, his back to the entrance of the front door. If they were dangerous, he wanted to have the jump on them.

"Door's open." The man whispered. If he was trying to be stealthy, he was failing miserably. The door creaked as two sets of footsteps tapped across the hardwood floor. They pair were quiet for a while before the man spoke again. "Someone's here. Look at this. It hasn't been dead long." The snake. Damnit. The girl whispered softly, clearly more intelligent than her male companion, Daryl could not make out what she said. He could hear their footsteps advance on him and he slowly and quietly made his way down the hallway, through the first door, and into the closet to hide. He wanted to know more about these people before he made his presence known.

The man glanced in the room only briefly before moving on to the next. How this man had survived this long was nothing short of a miracle.

_There's still good people in this world _

Her voice came across him softly. "Not now, girl." He muttered just as softly in return.

_Don't be afraid._

"Ain't afraid of nothing. Just smart." He mouthed back.

"Alright Lizzie, I think we're safe here. Don't see anyone in the house. Must have been someone passing through." Dumbass. Daryl heard them rustling through cabinets and finding the same things he had found. The can he had discarded was either tossed or kicked out of the way and they searched through the kitchen. "Can't believe whoever was here didn't take anything other than a can of corn and a poweraide." The man gawked.

"Not everyone needs to take everything." The girl said, now seemingly confident in her surroundings. The girl sounded young, with a northern accent but it sounded forced. Like she was acting.

"We should pray before we eat." The man said.

"Father, I don't feel like saying thanks tonight. Double up for me. I'm going to see if I can find some clothes." The man offered no response to her lack of faith. Light footsteps came closer to the room he was hiding in, his closet, and he silently pulled his knife from its sheath. The footsteps came nearer to the cracked closet but he couldn't see anything in the darkness. The light from the half moon was on the other side of the house, blinding him in these conditions. Rather than take any chances, as the girl pulled open the door, he lunged out and grabbed her mouth and used the strength of his arms to curl her back into his chest. With his other hand he placed the knife to her throat.

"Don't scream. Don't wanna hurt ya, girl. Just need to make sure ya ain't plannin' on hurting me." He whispered in her ear. The girl's body went rigid as he spoke and she put her hands up in the air to show she meant no harm. He hesitated for a moment but dropped the knife and let go of her. She stayed frozen for a minute before slowly turning around. Her silhouette seemed familiar to him. Was this someone from the prison that had gotten out?

"Daryl?" She whispered. Her accent was gone and his heart stopped. The same voice that haunted his thoughts, his dreams, was coming from this girl in front of him. Daryl dropped his knife and reached forward to touch her. His hand came into contact with her cheek and she stepped in closer to him. That was enough for him to make out her features.

"Beth?"

So sorry to end it there but that's all the writing my kids will let me do right now. If you think I should go on, please let me know. If I do carry on I just ask that everyone be patient with me. I don't know how soon I can get another chapter out because, if it is well received, I will likely write a few at a time.


	2. Chapter 2

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who responded to my first chapter. I'm glad you guys encouraged me to write more. I'm having fun with this story but I'm also getting frustrated all the same. These are very hard people to write so I do not envy Gimple… well… much. Anyway, that being said- I wrote this chapter at least three times. This is the chapter I settled on. I started writing on 4/16 and am just not getting to where I like it even slightly. Let me know what you guys think because this is eating away at me.

Also, I have to admit Game of Thrones has me very distracted. I just started reading the books after getting completely caught up on the show and am in LOVE with it! So, between work, reading, raising kids, and running a household, my updates will be very slow. I just, again, beg for patience.

On another note, I've read the comics and I believe that a character from there has Beth. If you haven't read them, there isn't any spoilers so no worries there. This is just my take on it.

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"You're here." She whispered. Her hand moved to touch his on her cheek. "I thought you were dead." He could see tears filling her eyes and spill down her face, his thumb swiping at them as they did.

"Take more than a few walkers to take me down, girl." He whispered back, his eyes traveling every inch of her face looking for wounds, scars, anything that would prove that she has been hurt. She smiled at him and pulled at his hand to bring it away from her face. She grabbed his bow from his hands and placed it on the floor quietly beside them. He looked at her with questioning eyes until she lunged for him and pressed herself up against him, her hands clawing at the back of his vest.

He stood still and awkward for a moment before giving into the feel of her wrapped around him. One hand found its way into her hair and began rubbing the back of her neck while the other mimicked hers on the small of her back. He realized he was clinging to her as much as she was him.

"What happened?" She asked in a small and muffled voice against his chest.

"Got out, tried to find ya' when I saw the car drive off. Been looking ever since." She pulled back and looked at him, tears falling more quickly but her voice never wavered.

"We came back. He said you were probably dead but we came back. There was so much blood. I thought you were dead."

"Who is he?" He demanded.

"His name is Gabriel. He had been living there. He's a priest. Says helping me is helping him pay for his sins of the past. "

"He hurt ya?" She shook her head no. Her hands still gripped at his arms as his still rested on the back of her neck and waist. He became very aware of the proximity and pulled away from her completely and reached for his bow. "Not too bright is he?" He commented. Beth knew what he meant.

"He doesn't have a bit of survival instinct in him. I humor him when I know it's safe."

"He's dead weight then." Beth nodded.

"He's a good man, or at least tries to be. He grabbed me limping on the road. I told him you were in there and we needed to wait but they started heading for the car. He got scared and drove off. Said he thought he saw one running after us. I thought he was crazy. I guess that was you. I didn't even think that it could have been. There were so many of them and he was so scared and ranting." Tears fell again and she took a step closer to him. "I'm sorry, Daryl. I should have made him stop."

"If ya even could. 'Sides, he got ya out 'n yer safe now." Beth nodded.

"Lizzie? Everything ok?" Gabriel called out from the other room. Daryl gave her a questioning look as she responded.

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Found something interesting." She said her accent thick on her voice again.

"What's the act ' bout?" He asked with a raised brow.

"If you were dead, I didn't want to be Beth anymore. If I never saw Maggie, Glenn, and Judith, any of them again, I didn't want to be me. Lizzie was the first name that came to mind that was close to my real name." She said with a small, sad smile.

"I'm not callin' ya that." He responded with his own small smirk. She nodded and laughed slightly.

"What'd you find?" Gabriel responded. Beth grabbed Daryl's hand and pulled him out of the room. He was hesitant at first but after he secured the crossbow over his back and put a hand on his knife he allowed her to pull him back into the family room where Gabriel was seated.

The man jumped from his spot on the couch and pulled his knife at the sight of Daryl.

"It's ok, Father. This is Daryl." The man looked from Beth back to the redneck before and dropped the knife.

"Heavenly Father, you still grant miracles." The priest whispered, his eyes casting upward.

"Ain't no miracle. Jus' luck." Daryl said as he dropped his hand from his knife and reluctantly released Beth's. "S'no God anymore." Daryl grunted and pulled a chair from the dining area and sat down across of him. His eyes were studying the man, seeing every secret his body carried. He was just under six feet tall and lanky. He reminded him of Patrick, kid had been a bean pole. He wasn't guarded which told Daryl he didn't live on the road like they had. He seemed relaxed and care free. It infuriated him.

"Son, God is not gone. God has simply tested us. He has sent hell to walk to earth to see who is strong enough to survive." Daryl rolled his eyes.

"S'bullshit. Too many good people are dead yet I'm still here. Men like the governor were allowed to live while the good died." Daryl's voice rose and Beth stepped closer to him, her hand gently on his shoulder to try to call him. "You ain't seen what we've seen, that's clear. Ya don't know-"

"I do know." Gabriel shouted, his dark face flushed slightly. "I've seen death, son. I know how the good died in the mouths of creatures. I know." He turned his head away bitterly. There was something he wasn't saying. Something he was keeping close. Something Daryl knew he would not learn tonight.

"Then why ya believe?" Daryl pressed.

"Because of men like you. You know nothing about me other than I took her from you. But rather then cut me open you are sitting here across from me, eyes burning holes into my body but refusing to hurt me because I kept her alive." Daryl's anger grew.

"Ya saw me chase after. You knew I was back there yet ya still took her."

"And you never gave up looking for her, did you?" Daryl nodded. "What does she mean to you? I know what you mean to her." Gabriel pressed.

"Her father was a good man. Took me in. Took us all in. N' died 'cause I couldn't stop some sumbitch who wanted what we had. I owe her." Daryl said through gritted teeth.

"No." Daryl stood up and stalked over the man until he towered over him as he sunk deep into the couch.

"This ain't no Sunday school, Father. I ain't someone you can preach to. Ya kept her safe, but you hold us back I will leave ya to the walkers." His finger was in the man's face, his eyes watching his body for any hint that he might defend himself and reach for his knife. When the man nodded in acceptance Daryl backed off and stomped over to the kitchen. Beth was close behind him.

"Was that really necessary?" She accused.

"What'd ya tell him?" He growled in a hushed whisper.

"Nothing he couldn't already see. I was destroyed when I thought you were dead." She growled back. Daryl saw the conviction in her eyes and realized she was not the same person she was a few weeks ago. The hope was barely visible and strength replaced the doubt he used to see. He sighed and headed down the hall shouting over his shoulder.

"Gunna sleep. 'Less someone wants to pray before we turn in for the night?" He didn't wait for an answer when he slammed the door to the room she found him in. He could hear her muffled apologies to the man in the living room and it made him even angrier. What devotion did she have to him? He took her away.

_You got some competition little brother. _

Daryl shook his head and collapsed on the bed and tried to close his eyes against the anger surging through his body. He couldn't shake why he was so upset. He was here with her and yet he walked out on her.

_Ya' jealous._

"No." He muttered under his breath. "No."

"No, what?" She asked. He jumped up, annoyed that he hadn't heard her sneak up on him. She was obviously proud of herself because he could see her smirk even in the pitch black of the room. He didn't respond and she walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Tell me what's going on and don't you dare lie to me Daryl Dixon." She pressed.

"I don't like em."

"I think that is obvious. But you didn't like us at first." She countered. He sighed and laid back on the bed, his hands folded under his head to prop him up slightly. She mimicked his sigh, kicked off her shoes, and curled up on the bed next to him, her head rested on his folded arm. She felt him tense beside her. "I'm glad you're here." She murmured. "But we're not done with this conversation." He felt her smile against his arm. He grunted in response when he heard her yawn.

"Sleep, girl." He told her. She nodded and pressed herself ever so slightly closer. His mind raced as he listened to her breathing.

_Ya know ya want to little brother. _

He pushed his brother's perverse and nagging voice from his mind and waited until her breathing evened out. Once he was certain she was asleep he pulled his arm out from underneath them and rested her head on the pillow. For a fleeting moment he thought about crawling off the bed to find another. But his body ached to keep her near. He still wasn't convinced this wasn't a dream and if it were real he didn't want to chance that priest taking her again.

He exhaled deeply and turned to his side and pressing his chest to her back. His arm hesitantly draped across her waist and his fingers, moving on their own accord, began playing with the hem of her shirt.

"I'm glad ya here, too." He whispered to her back and rested his forehead against the back of her head. His body relaxed and sleep took him for the second time that day.

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Well… was it everything you hoped it to be? Or did it suck? Be honest- I can take it. I'm going to write more tonight and hopefully post some more by the end of the weekend. If I can keep my kids out of my hair long enough, that is.


	3. Chapter 3

**This one came out much more quickly than I had anticipated. After I posted the last chapter this just hit me like a ton of bricks and I had to get it all out. I've been fine tuning it ever since. I want to apologize now… You'll understand why momentarily. **

**Now, this chapter does have more spoilers in the way of Gabriel from the Comics, just an FYI.**

**And, not that anyone would think otherwise, I don't own em. I just manipulate them. Enjoy**

He woke with a start at the sounds coming from within the house. There was yelling, things being thrown, bottles breaking, and screams of fear. He leapt from the bed and looked around for his crossbow but it was nowhere to be seen. The knife he left on the bedside table was missing as well. He also noticed he was alone.

"Shit" He spat in frustration. Fear gripped at his chest as he raced to the door and flung it open. He wanted to yell for Beth, desperate to know if she was ok but if there was someone in the house he wanted the upper hand.

He crept down the hallway, his back to the wall, and listened to the sounds of more bottles breaking, a window shattering, and a very familiar voice screaming obscenities.

"Yer fuckin' worthless, boy!" He poked his head out of the hallway to see part of the kitchen and living room. There was broken glass and blood on the floor. "Ya can't do nothing right!" There was the familiar sound of skin on skin as the man apparently slapped the boy. Daryl's mind was racing. He wondered how much of this was real and how much of this he was just hearing in his head. Fear kept him from going any further. The sounds of crying filled the room.

"I'm sorry, pop. Don't hit me again!" the child cried. Daryl recognized the voice. It was his so many years ago.

"Stop pissin' me off n' I won't hit ya no more!" The man barked as another sickening slap echoed off the walls. He pushed himself from the wall, ready to confront the bastard. When he rounded the corner his father turned to look at him.

"What the fuck do ya want?"

"Where's Beth?" He asked. It was the only thing he cared about at the moment.

"Who's Beth? Ya little whore?" His father shouted. "All women are whores. Best you learn to remember that boy. Ya ma was a whore, your aunt was a whore, hell ya gran was a whore." His father shouted. The young boy crying in the corner had disappeared. Daryl's fists clenched as he stepped closer to his father. "What? Ya don't think she ain't been screwin' that preacher? Even holy men need ass, son." His father sneered.

Daryl lunged for his father but found nothing but air. The room was empty with the exception of his laughter. The scent of alcohol lingered in the air. The room was clean, just as he had left it last night. He ran back to the bedroom and found his crossbow and knife right where they should be. But she was gone. He searched room to room and found the house completely empty.

There was no one here and he was alone. He slumped down the wall, his body weak from the realization that everything had been a dream. She was a dream. He hadn't found her.

Tears slipped down his face and he didn't care to wipe them away. He heard the door open and the sounds of death shuffling into the house. He could smell the walker as it stumbled into the living room, past the kitchen, and moved closer to the hallway. Daryl began to laugh as the damn thing got closer. He wanted it to take him. His laughter alerted the walker to his presence and its groans and gurgles got louder and closer. He looked up to see the walker staring down on him. His laughter grew as he recognized the walker.

How fitting it would be a cop to finally kill him.

Rick's flesh was torn and his right hand missing. He knelt down and clawed at him with his remaining hand. Daryl felt his own flesh ripping on his face. He felt the warm trickle of blood roll down. Rick's mouth bit at his neck and Daryl screamed in shock. Pain surged through his body as Rick ate greedily on him. He wanted to fight now, to shove him away, but it was too late. He was gone no matter what. He sank within himself, a defense mechanism he learned so many years ago when the bastard took a switch to his back. He stopped screaming and allowed Rick to eat away at him. That was until Rick's hand tore into his stomach and pulled him apart from the inside. Daryl couldn't hold back the screams any longer.

"Daryl!" He heard a voice screaming his name. It wasn't near. He tried desperately to hear it over the sounds of Rick groans over him. "Daryl! Wake up!" She screamed louder. The pain began to vanish as he felt his shoulder shake. There was a gentle pressure there and Rick was gone. The blood had vanished. The smell of the dead had vanished.

"Please! Wake up!" She cried again, louder and above him. He closed his eyes, wishing that whatever nightmare he was in would end. When he opened them again he felt the soft bed beneath him and saw her blonde hair haloed around her face hovering above him. It took him a moment to realize what was going on. His hand reached up and touched her. She didn't vanish like his father had. She was real. She was here. He grabbed her without warning and pulled her to him, crushing her in a bear tight embrace. His hands ran over her back, in her hair, down her sides, and then back around to grip her again. He heard her speak again. "What happened?" She asked frantically. He released her in shame and rose up on the bed. The light drifting into the window told him it was just after daybreak.

"S'nothing. Just a dream is all."

"You were screaming. You sounded like you were in pain. Are you hurt?" She moved closer to him and began running her fingers over his skin, chest, legs, and arms. He shrugged her off.

"I'm not hurt. Just thought finding ya was a dream." He wasn't ready to tell her that he had given up when he thought she was gone again. He wasn't ready to tell her that Rick began to kill him for everything he had caused and everything he failed to prevent.

"I'm here." She said reassuringly. "But I know that's not all of it." He looked at her through his hair, a sideway glance similar to the one he had given her the night she was taken. She sucked in a breath and slowly released it. "Tell me when you are ready. Let's figure out what we need to do now. I'm sure Gabriel is awake now and cowering in his room in prayer." She said lightly. The desperation to flee was evident on her face. He wasn't ready to let her walk away from him though. Not yet.

As she moved to stand he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. She gave him a questioning look. He cupped her face and watched her reaction to him. She turned into his hand and turned her eyes back to his. The hope was back, the walls down. She shuddered slightly under the power of his stare.

"We should check on Gabriel." She breathed, her voice shaking. He nodded and traced his thumb over her bottom lip before dropping it back to the bed.

"Yeah." He muttered and reached for his crossbow. When he turned back she was still sitting there, her breathing was faster and her lips parted.

"Daryl, I'm here." He nodded back.

"I know. I'm not givin' up on ya again." He said in response. She glanced at him another moment, almost longingly, and then stood and headed for the door. He rose and followed closely behind her.

True to her word, they found Gabriel in his room, on the floor by his bed far from the door. His hands clutched a rosary so hard Daryl could see blood dripping down the beads. His eyes were clenched and he was deep in prayer. Daryl laughed and the priest's eyes snapped open.

"N' you say ya kept her alive." Daryl snorted as Beth moved to his side.

"Why was he screaming?"

"Just a nightmare. That's all anyone seems to have anymore." She threw a thoughtful glance to Daryl and offered a small smile only he noticed and her hand ran soothingly down his arm. He nodded and walked out of the room and began checking the house over. The windows were intact and no debris or glass on the floor. There were no sounds coming from outside, just down the hall where the two spoke in hushed voices.

_Ya don't think she ain't been screwing that preacher?_

Anger filled him again and he flung open the front door, desperate to get away from the voices dancing around in his head. He knew it wasn't true. Beth wasn't that type of girl. He knew she didn't give Zack the chance, why would she start now? He kicked at the dirt as his anger turned inward. He was acting childish. A few deep breaths and he had himself back in control.

He walked back inside and secured the door again as the two emerged from the back room.

"Everything ok?" Beth asked.

"Jus' had to take a piss." He muttered sheepishly and began rummaging through the pantry.

"We need to plan out the day. We should pack up some food and head north. I hear there is a town there." The priest was moving about the home, a cautious eye fixed on Daryl.

"Nothing's north. Woodbury burned to the ground. Michonne n' I saw to that." He muttered as he opened a can of fruit.

"I couldn't go there anyway." Beth countered.

"Why?" Gabriel questioned.

"Ya ain't told him?" Daryl shot her an annoyed glance.

"I didn't tell him anything about me that didn't involve us on the road. He doesn't even know about the prison." She told him.

"What prison, Lizzie?"

"Her name ain't Lizzie. It's Beth. And the prison is where we were living when the bastard from Woodbury, the governor, came knocking down our walls and killed our people. Her sister, father, Rick, Carl, Lil' ass kicker, everyone." He explained between bites of fruit.

"Daryl, don't." She said with a warning. Her eyes were hard again. The light blue turned dark and the hope gone at the mention of death.

"We got out. Ran for two days straight. We'd hide, sleep, walk, and hunt. Til we found your place. Seemed nice til that damn dog brought the walkers on us. Then everythin' turned to shit."

"How long has it been, Beth?" Daryl glared at him for using her real name. He caught Beth return his glare.

"Two months." She responded.

"Then it's settled. We stay here another day. There's enough food and the house seems secure-"

"Ya let me be the judge of that, Father. Ya ain't got the sense to clear a house before letting her in. I ain't gunna trust ya to make decisions for us." Gabriel looked down in shame.

"Since we're sharing, no, I haven't been on the run like you two. I haven't seen what you have seen. When God sent the dead to test us, I ran for the church thinking I would be saved there. I was the only one at first so I boarded up the doors and took stock of what was stored in there for the upcoming summer bible camp. There was a lot of food but not enough to get many by for long. When I heard the knocks at the door I ignored them. I listened for days and mothers begged God to open the door, begged the dead not to take their children. Any then finally, I heard their screams as one by one they were devoured by the creatures. I spent hours each day going back and forth through the church checking that there were no weaknesses in the barricades. I kept count of the days. I had been in there, alone, for two months, when the food ran dry. I asked God to take me. When he didn't I knew I was being punished for my sins. For my selfishness and greed. I pushed open the barricades and doors once a day and walked the town long since deserted and broke into my neighbors houses and stole from them. I lived that way for another eight months. I thanked god it was a decent sized town and that most of the dead had wandered off. Every now and then I would hear creatures bang on the door, testing my barricades. And they never got through. When supplies in the town ran low I followed a nearby road to the funeral home. I trapped the creatures and hoped to give them a proper burial. I wanted to keep up some respect for the dead in hope of adding a few points in my favor with God.

"I may not have survived as you have, but I have survived. So don't tell me that I don't know when a place is safe or not. This place can be secure. There are no holes they can get into. I checked when you stormed out and she went after you last night. Now, do you want to stay here or not?" Gabriel's chest was heaving as he tested the man before him. Daryl considered him for a moment then nodded.

"Man's got a point. One more day. Then we head east and follow the river." Beth nodded wiped a tear from her eye and walked from the room leaving the two men alone. "Ain't selfishness and greed if ya tryin' to stay alive." Gabriel laughed.

"I'll be sure to tell that to St. Peter when I meet him on my judgment day." He rubbed his hand down his neck and studied Daryl. "Now, are you going to tell me why you were screaming? Must have been some nightmare."

"No." Daryl grunted as he pushed off the counter and looked to the window.

"She was dead?" Gabriel pressed on, ignoring the warnings he felt inside begging him to stop. Daryl kept quiet but tensed. "Love is nothing to be ashamed of, son."

"Best stop now, preacher. I ain't gunna commit another sin today by knockin' ya on your ass." Daryl growled again.

"So you do believe?" The man smiled.

Daryl laughed a grim laugh. "Last person to ask me that vanished." Daryl could see the color drain from the priest's face as he walked out of the room.

**The next chapter is going to be a continuation of the two conversations Beth let him out of. That one will be HARD to write so stick with me. I hope everyone doesn't hate me to much over this one. **

**Also, I know readers may want more action between the two but let's face it, that's not how he is. We just have to wait… **

**Leave me a review and tell me what you think! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the delay folks. I didn't even start writing this one until the May 6****th**** due to some personal issues within my own life and am JUST now getting this out. Working full time, raising two kids, and repairing a marriage is time consuming. This is my outlet to all of that. Anyway, I'm still around. Don't give up on me! **

**Anyway, hope you enjoy the continuation of the talks. I'll do my best to capture the true essence of their characters. Though, admittedly, no one can write them like their creators can. On that note, I owe nothing.**

**...**

He stepped through the woods quietly. His ears hearing every sound around him and his eyes sharp for any movements. He held his crossbow up and ready to fire at any moment. This was his favorite part of a hunt. Nothing was or could be said, the only thing you could hear were the sounds of the forest and the chirping of birds. Even when he was being taught to hunt by his dad and uncle, even when he messed up, there was always silence. Sound would scare away any potential game and therefore nothing would be worth jeopardizing a meal. After the hunt, his wrong doings were punished severely.

He had been out for nearly an hour with no trace of anything around. The woods seemed dead as even the birds had gone silent. He sighed heavily and began to make his way back to the house. He thought back to his dream as he walked. He remembered his grief more than the pain of Rick tearing him open. He remembered the shame that he had failed her. He remembered the overwhelming sense of loss as he realized she was gone again.

He pushed it from his mind and focused on the fact that she was here and he would not let her go again. He would not lose the last person in this damned world that he cared about. Instead, his thoughts wandered to him cupping her face and tracing her lip. Why had he done that?

_Cause you're sweet on the farmer's daughter, lil brother. _

He ignored Merle's voice and trudged on. When he began to see the house in the distance he noticed her small figure sitting on the porch, knife in hand. He groaned silently and contemplated heading off into another direction to hunt more. That plan was abandoned when he watched her rise from the porch and head closer to the opening in the woods. She had seen him. He stopped walking, daring her to come to him. She accepted his wordless challenge without hesitation. Her eyes were soft and dark when she reached him.

"No luck?" She asked.

"Na, nothing out there at all. Not even walkers." He grumbled.

"I saw a stream a little ways away. Come walk with me?" She didn't mean it as a question and she didn't wait for a response before she took off to her right. Daryl was taken aback by this new side of her. He decided not to open his mouth and follow wordlessly, his body on alert for anything.

The walk took about ten minutes and she led the way the entire time. He waited for her to get lost, to get mixed up in the woods, but she never did. She was confident now. She really, truly didn't need him anymore.

When they arrived she sat down on a large boulder close to the creek's edge and began to hum softly. He watched as she picked as little pieces of rock and grass that was lying around and throw it into the running water. He became annoyed at her actions immediately.

"You drag me out here so I could babysit you sittin' on your ass tossin' stuff in water?" He voice was a sharp whisper.

"No," she looked over her shoulder with a smug smile and turned back to the water. "I brought you here because I knew you would follow me. And because I told you we weren't done talking."

"What's with you now, girl?" He wanted to tell her that she acted like a stuck up college girl now but that would seem too emotional. She spun around and faced him, her eyes were hard and near black.

"You weren't there. I had to learn how to survive on my own. I got to thinkin' about Andrea and how confident she was. I saw how she looked when she knew she could survive on her own. Even when she came back to the prison after we all thought she was dead, we knew she was scared but she was still strong. I'm not a little girl anymore and I won't act like it again!" She shouted.

"Keep yer voice down." He growled back at her as he brought his face close to hers. She glared back at him, challenging him to respond. "You wanna act like her? Not a great role model." He spat back. "She got herself killed 'cause she couldn't get blood on her hands. Couldn't do what was right." Beth seemed to consider this.

"You think things would have been different if she had? You believe that the rest of them would have just let her go and give up on us? On the prison?" She dropped her eyes and picked at a blade of dead grass. Daryl sighed and ran his hand through his hair as his eyes swept their surroundings.

"Don't know. Maybe. Maybe not." Hearing and seeing nothing, he allowed himself to relax slightly. He moved to lean up against the boulder she sat on. They were silent for a while as they considered each other's words. Finally, she broke the silence with a gentle touch to his arm.

"Tell me what you did after I was taken." Daryl tensed instantly and she dropped her hand just as quickly. He didn't want to tell her he had lost his mind, and that he hadn't quite gotten it back.

"Nothin' to tell. I hunted, slept, and tracked till I found ya." He hoped that she would let him off that easily. He knew better.

"What did you plan to do if you didn't find me? Or anyone?"

"Hadn't thought of it." _Liar _Merle muttered. _Don't tell her ya wanted to give up. She'll laugh at ya. Call ya a pussy. _

"Oh." She whispered. "Tell me about the dream." She was pushing him. He groaned.

"It was a dream. Nothing more. I told ya I hadn't found ya. S'all."

"Why were you screaming?"

"Why do ya want to know so bad? You think you can fix me? I don't need fixin'." He growled back at her. She stiffened at his outburst slightly and relaxed back into the view of the water. He pushed off the boulder and paced around behind her feeling like a caged animal. Finally he spoke. "Rick was one of 'em. He ripped me open. Felt real." He kicked at the dirt on the ground and looked over her head to stare at the water. "Also felt right. Like I was getting' what I had comin' to me." He noticed her turn her head and look at him with a questioning look. There was more she wanted to say, to ask, that much was obvious. But she didn't. And he was thankful for just a moment. She did, however, reach out and grab his hand and pulled him to sit next to her on the rock. He hesitated for a moment and then allowed her to pull him to her. He crossed his legs as he sat down next to her, his crossbow placed neatly on his lap and ready if needed, and a flutter in his stomach at the fear of what might happen.

She waited until he seemed comfortable and then tucked her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder. It was a small offer of comfort that he wasn't anticipating. He looked over at the top of her blonde head resting on him and sighed softly. They sat quietly for a long time.

"I'm sorry I told you I wouldn't need you." She whispered.

"Ya don't."

"That's not true." She raised her head and looked up at him. "I am stronger than I was before. But that doesn't mean I don't need you. I need you to be a friend, not a guardian." He thought about her words for a moment and gave her a half nod and a small smirk. She smiled fully and brightly at him before laying her head back on his shoulder.

"We should head back. The priest'll be getting worried." He voice betrayed his intentions and he coughed to cover the hitch it made.

"Do you think they could still be alive?" She murmured. He untangled his arm from hers and wrapped it around her waist without a second thought. He ran his thumb over the exposed skin at her side. He felt her shudder. He tried to tell himself he was only trying to comfort her.

_Ya keep tellin' yerself that, lil brother. We both know what'cha thinkin'._

"No trace of 'em in months. Don't look good" He said as he dropped his hand in defiance to Merle. She sighed and looked up at him with fresh tears in her eyes.

"Couldn't you, just once, lie to me?" She laughed slightly as she said it and started to wipe away a tear on her right side. Daryl realized all too late that he had taken care of the tears on her left. She stared intensely at him, waiting for him to say something or make a move.

"Why would I lie?" His hand dropped slowly down her face and down her neck. As he brought it back to rest in his lap his hand brushed against the small hairs that were hanging from her pony tail on his fingers. "Ya said ya wanted a friend. Never had many before but don't think that falls into the description." She nodded with a small smile that was lined with regret that he couldn't understand.

"You are right, we should get back." She jumped down from the boulder and headed back to the forest line. He sat for a moment before he began to follow her. Just as he stepped down he heard twigs snap in the distance to far away to be Beth but close enough to be a problem. There was something out there. He pulled his bow up, ready to shoot if needed and ran after Beth. She was a few yards ahead of him but it didn't take him long to reach her.

"I was wonderin' if you –"He wrapped his hand around her mouth to silence her and curled her body with his arm up against his chest.

"Shh." He pulled her down to the ground and released her mouth. She didn't protest or ask questions. She trusted Daryl; if something was out there he would know. His eyes scanned the area around them and his ears were sharp to pick up anything. Finally, he heard the familiar groans of a walker. It was out there and getting closer. She heard it now, too.

He put his hand out to her silently telling her to wait as he stood and walked towards the noises. Beth stood and unsheathed her knife and hunched back down, waiting for an all clear from Daryl. After a few minutes she heard the familiar sound of the crossbow firing and a thud as the walker hit the ground. She smiled at how sure Daryl's aim was.

It was then that she realized her focus was centered solely in front of her and once the threat was gone her senses widened to the areas around her. The familiar snapping of twigs alerted her to the walker just at her back. It was quiet, though. There was no tell-tale groaning or moaning. Beth was too startled to scream. Her body reacted before her mind and she jumped up and pushed herself away from its clawing arms and snapping jaw. Her foot caught on something on the ground and she fell back, her head hitting a rock as she did. She moaned as her vision blurred. She heard the walker get closer to her but she couldn't focus her sight on it.

"Daryl!" She tried to scream but it ended up coming out as a pathetic whimper. She tried again and again with no luck until she felt a deformed hand grab her arm. She struggled to pull away but the pounding in her head and the blinding white light was distracting her escape.

"BETH!" His voice was just as panicked as it had been the last time they had been in danger. There was desperation in his voice but she couldn't tell where he was. The rotting hand pulling at her arm was gone and she barely made out the sound of bodies crashing together and flesh being stabbed before everything went black.

**AN: Sorry again for the delay. Life is just so insanely hectic right now that I'm only able to right when I can. It's also very possible that there could be some errors and I apologize. I just needed to get this posted before I drove myself crazy over it. I hope I still have everyone's interest! Let me know what you think! **


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